User guide

Chapter 33 Working With Notation 755
Working With Time and Key Signatures
Signatures are global events, which affect all tracks in your project. You can view and
edit time and key signatures in the Signature track, in the Signature List, and in the
Score Editor.
Note: The Signature track must be visible—and must not be protected—in order to
select and copy signatures.
To view the Signature track:
m Choose View > Global Tracks.
By default, the global Marker, Signature, and Tempo tracks will be visible when you
enable the display of global tracks. If the Signature track is not visible, choose View >
Configure Global Tracks, and enable the Signature checkbox.
To view the Signature List:
m Shift–double-click in the Signature track.
m Choose Options > Open Signature/Key Change List Editor.
The Signature List displays time and key signatures in a list style editor, along with
other global score symbols such as repeat signs, double bar lines, and so on.
Time Signatures
A time signature determines the number of beats in a bar (shown in the Bar ruler), thus
defining the editing grid in the Arrange area and MIDI editors. A time signature does
not affect the playback of audio or MIDI regions.
Time signatures do, however, affect the score display. All functions reliant on the
chosen time signature and bar positions (such as MIDI metronome click or Transform
window functions) are affected—if bar positions are used to restrict a function to a
certain part of the project.
Key Signatures
Key signature changes only affect the display of MIDI notes in the Score Editor—they
do not have an effect on MIDI playback. The first key signature, however, affects the
playback of audio Apple Loops. For more information, see “Global Tracks and Apple
Loops” on page 645.
You can create as many key signatures as you wish. If your project already contains
other key signature changes, any newly inserted key signature will change the key from
the insertion point forward—until the next key signature change is reached.
You can store up to nine signature alternatives in the Signature track.